In the debut episode of Beyond Beliefs, host Alisha Solan reveals how having a gay brother launched Elizabeth Burke’s career as a religious scholar.
This podcast explores the beauty, power, and diversity of religion and spirituality.Beyond belief”bBecause religion is much more than a set of beliefs and doctrines to which we agree.
“Beyond Beliefs” will be hosted by Alisha Solan of City Times Sound.
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transcription
Alisha Solan 0:05
Hello, my name is Alisha Solan. And you’re listening to Beyond Beliefs, a show that explores the beauty and diversity of religion and spirituality. Today we will be speaking with religious scholar Elizabeth Burke. Elizabeth earned her Ph.D. She received her bachelor’s degree in religion from Claremont College and her master’s degree from Harvard School of Divinity. Welcome, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Burke 0:30
Thank you so much, Alisha. It’s great to be here.
Alisha Solan 0:32
So why did you decide to study religion? What made you this way?
Elizabeth Burke 0:37
It wasn’t something I automatically knew I wanted to do. It is not usually a course or department that you can participate in until you enter university.
Alisha Solan 0:45
No one said, “Do you want to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, religious scholar?”
Elizabeth Burke 0:49
No, definitely not. I had no idea this subject, this field, existed until I went to college and took my first religious studies course. I grew up in a Christian household. We were very religious. But we weren’t that conservative either. My parents were basically Berkeley, Jesus hippies. That was my introduction to religion in my own life. So I grew up in a family and culture that showed the beauty of religion and the peaceful thinking, love, forgiveness, and compassion that religion can generate. And when I was in high school, I have one older brother, and he came out as gay when I was in middle school. And for our family, it was no big deal. No big deal, we loved him and were ready to hug him. But I know that’s not the case for everyone. And I also know that not every family has a story of religious tradition. I wanted to have words and understanding, protect my brother, and protect other LGBTQ Christians and members of other religious traditions. Because, of course, I knew there were a lot of people who weren’t very accepting of not only Christianity, but also other religious traditions. And religion and LGBTQ identity were automatically assumed to be mutually exclusive. So, in a sense, I decided to pursue a personal research path. And I was also kind of drawn in and fascinated by the fact that a single religious tradition, a single sacred document, can be understood in so many different ways.
Alisha Solan 2:22
So how would you describe your current relationship with Christianity?
Elizabeth Burke 2:26
I would say that I continue to have a complicated relationship with Christianity. And it’s part of my family. It’s still a part of my parents. But we’ve also seen how traumatizing it can be. As I learned more about my brother’s story of growing up gay and Christian, I learned just how traumatic that story can be. When you study religion, you spend more time asking questions about it than answering them. And when I started studying religion, I absolutely wanted answers. And I feel like a lot of my students want answers too, right? That’s why they start down this path. “Well, if you study hard and read everything, you’ll definitely understand.” The thing is, you lose interest in the final answer.
Alisha Solan 3:20
Still, students are often given the opportunity to ask questions when we have spoken earlier. And many of them want to know which religion you consider to be true, which religion you support, which religion you identify with…?
Elizabeth Burke 3:33
Every year when I’m asked this question, my answer is a little different. Currently, I attend a meeting of unprogrammed liberal Quakers. I don’t go every time, but I think I go about once every two months. But this is a community tradition that I respect. Because they can hold their doubts and anxieties as sacred. And that’s something I’m grateful for. I also go to temples from time to time because I really respect the silence of Buddhist temples. Whatever your theological, religious, or spiritual beliefs, silence can help you develop them and help you feel more confident in whatever your own doubts, beliefs, and theology are. That’s why I think words are wonderful. Words are also important. Words can lead you to a certain point. But in the end, silence will get you further than talking about religion or talking about a higher power.
Alisha Solan 4:29
wonderful. That’s certainly part of this title that we’re working on in terms of Beyond Beliefs. I’m interested in exploring how we experience religion and spirituality. That’s what we practice. something we encounter. It may not be limited to the mind or what we believe, but from a cultural perspective.
Elizabeth Burke 4:53
So a lot of times we go there. Religion is belief, and the two are exactly the same. But it is. Religion is more than that. That’s one aspect of it. But in some religious traditions, it’s not even that important an aspect. And people who don’t agree with a religious belief may say, “Oh, I can’t believe that’s what you believe.” right? If you are a member of this religion, that means you believe in it. ” And that’s like dismissing the fact that religion is so much more than that. And individuals can and often do remain religious. Even if they question that belief. However, they will not want to separate themselves from family, traditions, culture, food, holidays, festivals, places of worship, ways of helping the community, and modes of social activity. Oh yeah, I really like the title. I think this is a great way to introduce the confusion, complexity, and reality of religion that is far beyond what we often assume. And I think that’s great. And that’s great and I never want to take that away from them. I never want to take away someone’s healthy religious beliefs. I think healthy religion is one of the best parts of our world, and if we had one religious tradition, the world would be a much more boring place. Or zero religious traditions.
Alisha Solan 6:10
thank you. That’s our point here. Agree. We need to look and understand only our own religious perspective. Consider where your own religious training has blind spots. But it also allows you to understand where other religious perspectives are coming from. What beauty and harm is there in our own and other traditions?
I’m listening to Beyond Beliefs. Thanks to Elizabeth Burke. Please join us next time as we continue this conversation.
